Event Coverage

Canon Expands Its Camera Line-up with the EOS 6D & Five New PowerShot Models

By Hafeez Sim - 5 Oct 2012

Canon PowerShot S110, SX50 HS, SX500 IS & SX160 IS

PowerShot S110

The S110 is basically an incremental upgrade to the popular S100. Lens, sensor and image processor are basically those found in its predecessor. The S110 comes with a 12-megapixel, 1/1.7-inch sensor, and a DIGIC 5 image processor. At the widest end it offers a fast aperture of F2.0, though it is much slower at the telephoto end (F5.9).

Controls also remain unchanged, which is actually a good thing since the controls on the S100 are intuitive and prominently laid out. Let’s not forget the programmable control ring found on the lens, which is also found on many a premium compact. As the popular adage goes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and Canon certainly did something right with the control ring. We hope to see other brands incorporating this into their camera design.

So what’s new with the S110? It seems this year’s most popular feature to be included in cameras is Wi-Fi connectivity, and the S110 brings that to the table, allowing you to upload images online. And with smartphones all touting intuitive and user-friendly touch interfaces, it's only a matter of time before digital compact cameras follow suit. The S110 has a 3-inch capacitive touchscreen LCD monitor that allows for users to pinch-to-zoom as well as swipe to navigate, which are common gestures in smartphones.

The S110 is available in stores right now to the tune of S$669, and comes in white, black or silver.

Design-wise, the S110 doesn't differ that much from its predecessor, the S100.

The S110 still retains the control ring (which we like a lot) around its lens.

The difference in size between the G15 and the S110.

 

PowerShot SX50 HS

Ever been to a sports event or traveled on holiday only to find that you’re out of range to shoot something even with your compact camera’s zoom fully maxed out? Canon seeks to solve this with the PowerShot SX50’s 50x optical zoom capability. Yes, 50x optical zoom!

Expecting a bulky body to house the 50x optical zoom lens, we were pleasantly surprised to find that the SX50 HS is reasonably compact and light-weight. A few quick test shots also revealed that Canon’s image stabilization remains one of the best in the business, with shots being relatively sharp at the 50x telephoto end.

And to further aid with shooting at longer zoom ranges, the SX50 HS features a Zoom Framing Assist-Lock button, which will help to further reduce camera shake when activated. There’s also a Zoom Framing Assist-Seek button, which will zoom out to help users locate their subject or frame their shot when they zoom in too fast and lose track of their subject. Releasing the button will return the camera to the initial magnification range so you can instantly snap the image after locating your subject.

The SX50 HS will set you back S$799 and will be available in mid-October.

The SX50 is the only PowerShot model announced today that sports a swivelling LCD screen.

The SX50 felt light in our hands despite its impressive 50x optical zoom lens. This picture shows how far the lens extends out from the body at maximum zoom.

The SX50 sports a curved, DSLR-like hand grip for better handling. Needless to say, a better grip will lessen the chance of hand shake.

 

PowerShot SX500 IS & PowerShot SX160 IS

The SX160 IS

The SX500 IS

If you don’t really need 50x optical zoom, and are looking for something slightly more compact, then have a look at the PowerShot SX500 IS and PowerShot SX160 IS. The SX500 IS sports 30x optical zoom, and still manages to be the world’s lightest 30x optical zoom compact camera at 341g. The SX160 IS has a 16x optical zoom for those who just need a more modest zoom range.

Both cameras feature Intelligent IS, which helps to select the optimal image stabilization settings depending on your shooting situation. This helps to minimize camera shake, and in turn, lands you sharper images, especially at the zoom end.

Both cameras sport the DIGIC 4 image processor, which is capable of shooting videos at HD resolutions.

Both the SX500 IS and SX160 IS are available for sale right now, with the SX500 IS priced at S$499 and the SX160 IS at S$299.

The SX160 features the most compact profile among the superzooms unveiled today.

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